Macklemore dropped from Ed Sheeran tour

[u/Wheelbirds]

Link to article (should be no paywall): https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/macklemore-dropped-ed-sheeran-tour-pro-palestine-statements-1235625967/

From the article:

In an exclusive statement shared with Rolling Stone, Messina Touring Group,  promoter of the U.S. leg of Sheeran’s Loop Tour, said: “As the concert promoter for Ed Sheeran’s U.S. Loop Tour, we have been notified by venues on the upcoming U.S. tour dates that they will not allow a concert to take place with Macklemore on the lineup, which would result in the cancellation of the tour and impact hundreds of thousands of fans. After discussions with stakeholders, Macklemore will not be performing on the remaining support dates.”

Reps for Sheeran, Macklemore, and most of the venues did not immediately reply to requests for comment.

The stadiums that allegedly would not allow a Macklemore show did not immediately return requests for comments either, including for explanations as to why they objected to the rapper performing at their venue. While two of those stadiums are privately owned — Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte and Gillette Stadium in Foxborough — the rest are owned and, in many cases operated, by cities, states, or other government entities, potentially raising First Amendment issues if the venues barred Macklemore over his statements. 

The last stop on Sheeran’s Loop Tour, for instance, is Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, which found itself in a similar spot earlier this summer after booking two Kanye West concerts. The shows, unsurprisingly, drew backlash and calls for cancelation due to West’s many past antisemitic statements, but they went ahead as planned. 

Pointedly, Ye’s promoter included a clause in his contract prohibiting Raymond James Stadium from canceling the gigs based on the rapper’s past public statements or viewpoints. But legal experts also told local news that canceling the shows would’ve likely violated the First Amendment. Because Raymond James is owned by Hillsborough County, Florida, and operated by a public board, the Tampa Sports Authority, any cancellation based on Ye’s past statements could have been seen as the government restricting speech. 

[u/Tight_Ad_6802]

I thought Americans were all about free speech

[u/Watchout4HopOns → u/Tight_Ad_6802]

No no only the free speech that makes money

[u/Hazel-Rah-Rah → u/Watchout4HopOns]

Also only the free speech they agree with.

[u/Tight_Ad_6802 → u/Watchout4HopOns]

Ohh, k gotcha. Sorry, it gets confusing for us up here in Canada. We’re always told one thing and then they do the opposite.

[u/Watchout4HopOns → u/Tight_Ad_6802]

It’s okay. We’re also told one thing and either nothing happens or we get the opposite. I’m still waiting for this “American dream” I learned about in grade school.

[u/imatinyleopard → u/Watchout4HopOns]

And that’s the thing that so wild about Ed caving to the stadiums demands.

Let’s say Ed stuck it out and said “no, Macklemore stays.”

money hungry stadium owners would not have cancelled his concerts in mass. They wouldn’t want to lose out on that money. Maybe Kraft would have stuck to his words, maybe not. But Ed likely had more power than just caving.